Come Wake Me Up
by Katieghost
Summary: He's there, but where was she? Why wasn't she with him? He closes his eyes, trying to convince himself that this isn't happening. It just can't be happening. He opens them. It was a nightmare. It had to be...right?


**Okay, I don't think I've told you guys about this, and if I have, I think I've forgotten. ^^" It's been so long since I posted "Regrets", after all... But hey, who doesn't love surprises! :D**

**This is.. what can I call it? It's like a prequel to "Regrets", or a side-story if you will. It takes a peek into what Jack had to go through those 2 years he spent without Sally. So, if you want to see him suffer, you've come to the right place! *evil laugh* (Although I don't think if I did a good job at that.. He deserves pain, dammit! A lot of it!) ****Oh, and the title of this one is actually also a song which I used for inspiration. If you want to hear it, the link for the playlist is in my profile. It's a good listen if you like to read with background noise. :)**

**If you haven't read my other story, I _strongly recommend_ that you do! Although it's a prequel, it doesn't explain things much...**

**And now, I present you what I consider my greatest work yet.. "Come Wake Me Up"!**

* * *

So, it would be one of those nights.

Jack clung to his pillow tightly, tears streaming endlessly from his eye sockets. He grits his teeth, trying to close his eye sockets to stop crying, but no matter what he does, the pain would just not go away, and neither will the tears. He gives an anguished cry before he lets the sobs overcome him, disrupted only by the weak whispering of her name every once in a while.

A few minutes ago, he had woken up from another nightmare about her, so, naturally, wanting to be comforted, he had searched for his bedtime companion.

Only to remember that she wasn't there and she would never be again.

He had tried to fall back asleep, but the memories wouldn't let him. They burned like a fire in his mind, replaying their moments together and setting his heart ablaze with a feeling that pained him the core of his soul. He had tried to at least push them out of his mind for now (he knew by now he wouldn't be able to forget her), but he just _couldn't_.

And then he realized with a start that his nightmare really had come true this time.

That's when he began crying and realized that he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

Thunder crashed outside, illuminating the dark room for only a second, and it brought to his mind the first time they had experienced similar weather together.

It had also been the first night they would spend together in the same room...

* * *

_They had been just relaxing in the couch after a nice dinner, and just when the time came that Sally had to go back home (for it was getting rather late and the doctor would be expecting her any minute now), the sound of heavy rain could be heard outside, startling the lovers._

_They had been aware of the slight drizzle outside, but had barely paid attention to it, thinking it would soon pass. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Some moments after, the rain became a full-out storm when they heard the wind whistling and some thunder crashing in the distance. They had waited some more to see if would let down at least a bit, but it only became stronger with each moment that went by._

_Seeing no other option, Jack offered Sally to stay with him tonight, stating that with this storm the doctor would understand why she couldn't go home._

_"Besides, Sally," he added when she didn't look convinced, "I could never let you go through such a dreadful storm. What kind of gentleman would I be then?"_

_She giggled then shyly agreed, and he led her to the spare room next to his. (It was too early in their courtship for them to sleep in the same bed. Besides, it would definitely _not_ be gentlemanly behavior if he took her to his room and couldn't keep his hands off her, which he would be tempted to do since they would be alone _and_ in a bed.) With a kiss and a goodnight, making sure for a last time that she was indeed comfortable, he slipped out of the room and headed to his._

_Thunder kept crashing outside, and he could hear as the rain got splashed into his window by the strong wind. He was just about to fall asleep when, all of a sudden, his door creaked open and just outside of it stood none other than Sally, looking shaken. _

_He sat up in his bed, looking at her curiously._

_"Sally? What's wrong, my love?" he asked, and then noticed that she seemed to be...very afraid of something. He also noticed there were tears streaks on her face. _

_She had been crying._

..._Why?_

_"Jack...! I-"_

_Another thunder resounded through the room, and she whimpered in fear, running towards her beloved in a panic. Jack, although surprised by the sudden move, welcomed her into his arms as she threw herself into him and buried her face in his chest, crying into him._

_He understood that she was afraid of the thunder from the storm, so he did his best to comfort her. Noticing she was crying again, he pulled her into his lap and hugged her closely, placing small soothing kisses on her hair._

_"Shhh, my darling, don't fret... I'm here," he whispered into her ear, "Don't cry, my Sally..." _

_He was pleased when that deemed a good result and she stopped sobbing, although some scared little tears were still streaming down her stitched face. He murmured some more words of reassurance and she stopped crying altogether._

_"There, my love..." he said with a gentle smile. "Are you better now?"_

_She nodded softly against him and cuddled closer, a small sigh escaping her. After a while, she spoke in a quivering whisper._

_"I don't think I can go back to sleep, Jack..." Her tone was unsure, almost frightened, and it utterly broke his heart to hear his beloved like that. He knew there was an unspoken 'alone' at the end of that sentence, and he didn't know what to make of it. Be that as it may, he just couldn't kick her out of his room, gentleman or not._

_He was conflicted for a moment before coming to a decision._

_"You can stay here with me, love..." left him in a low voice. Although earlier on, he had offered him the spare bedroom to avoid this same problem, he could see that she really needed someone right now, and he didn't exactly _mind_ being that someone._

_"Really? That would be nice..." she replied in a quiet whisper, but she also sounded nervous._

_He just smiled warmly and brought their faces close for a soft kiss, trying his best to keep it gentle and reassuring. When they parted, he gave her a shy smile and was delighted to her smiling back at him, also releasing a happy giggle._

_He kissed her briefly again and then let her go so she could settle herself under the blankets with him. When he saw that she was comfortable and happy again, he gave her one final deep kiss before releasing her again to hold her close. She cuddled into him, releasing a content sigh, and he smiled as he fell asleep._

_And as the storm outside winded down, they held each other close as their first night together came to an end..._

* * *

He couldn't help the breathless gasp that left him as the ache in his heart grew when he remembered that particular night. The look on her face before they fell asleep, when she had seemed completely at ease after being so scared, and the knowledge that _he_ had caused that…

He had always loved making her happy..but he couldn't do that anymore.

He buried his face on the pillow in an effort to muffle his increased crying, but it was no use. He just couldn't fight it, especially when he knew he still loved as dearly as the first day of their courtship. But how could he help but love her? She was..perfect.

**Why** did he let her go?

Right now she is most likely asleep, blissfully unaware of the pain that she was causing him. ('_No_,' he reminded himself firmly, '_It isn't her fault I did what I did. It was all my idea._') He imagines she doesn't even think about him anymore, thanks to that darned potion. On nights like this, he regrets with all he has ever giving her that potion.

(On nights like this, he wishes he had taken a similar potion after that fateful day, but it was an idea he doesn't want to consider because, deep down, he doesn't want to forget what little he has left of her, as much as it pains him so. Because his memories, at the end, are the only thing that he has left of her.)

If he hadn't, she would be here with him, cooing his name with a sweet smile, kissing him, and oh how he would love her... He could love her as much as he wanted, and he never would have to let her go...

Just like he had done the day before all this heartbreak and pain began.

* * *

_He sighed conflicted for what seemed like the millionth time that day. He was watching the bottle in his hand with an unsure, miserable look, knowing what he had to do yet doubting he could carry it out now. It was just.. He knew with all his heart that he would miss her terribly; her shy blinking eyes, the way she smiled at him, her melodious voice telling him she loved him..._

_He shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. He _had_ to do this. There was no doubt of that. They just couldn't be together._

_This he realized after they had a huge fight some weeks ago. They had worked things out in the end, of course, but he remembered the look of utter despair on her face when they were fighting.. The sad little tears that spilled down her face... _

_He had felt horrible of being the cause of that._

_And if they continued to be together, he hypothesized, more of those fights would come... It was only logical, after all; everyone who had some kind of relationship had fights, especially couples. And then the worry came. What if one of those was strong enough to break them apart? What would he do then? Just let her leave with her heart broken? _

_He couldn't do that._

_After all, who would want to hurt a perfectly good heart? Why would __**he**__ want to? His Sally was so young and new to the world that no doubt something like that would surely break her, given that she had loved him for so long before they came together. And he didn't want that. She deserved better._

_It was for the best if things were this way._

_So, he _had_ to do this._

_Even if he loved her so very much..._

_He shook his head, trying to focus again. '_No,there's no going back. And that's final._' _

_He planned slipping it to her in their dinner tonight, and since the potion took effect after the person slept, he could have some time with her before she left. _

_Another thing he had taken care of this morning was asking Dr. Finkelstein if Sally could spend the whole day with him, and when the doctor insisted on knowing why, he reluctantly explained him the reasons. The good doctor was surprised he cared about her so much that he wouldn't want to her hurt by his rash actions; even if he thought it was for the best. Still, he gave the skeleton permission to carry on with his plans, and now that the opportunity presented itself, also reminded him that he didn't have any real use to Sally anymore and it was time he set her free. Jack had assured him that he had thought about that already..._

_"Jack, my love," her voice echoed through the house, derailing his train of thought. "Is that you?"_

_He lit up instantly. "Yes, darling!" he called back, placing the bottle on one of the cupboards in the kitchen, making sure it was well-hidden._

_He quickly walked up the spiral stairs, an excited grin on his face. When he finally arrived to the living room, he saw his Sally waiting for him on the couch. She was already here since earlier he had been so excited about the idea of a whole day with her that as soon as the doctor gave him permission, he had immediately carried her away to his home, not wanting to waste any precious second that they could be spending together. But, obviously, since she couldn't accompany him when he requested the potion from the witches (which he had forgotten to do beforehand, forgetful as he was sometimes), he had dropped her off and told her he would be going on a quick errand, with the excuse he needed to buy something for their dinner._

_He smiled warmly at the sight of her, 'though he couldn't help a touch of sadness creep up his gaze. This would be the last time he saw her in here, like this... Today would be the last time he'd look into her pretty eyes..._

_But he was going to make sure it would be worth it._

_He made his way to the couch and sat down next to her, holding her close. '_Oh, she's so soft and warm..._' He cuddled into her further, wanting to enjoy this moment. One of his last ones with her..._

_She giggled at the gesture, snuggling him right back. She was so happy that today he had asked permission to the doctor for them to spend the whole day together, and since they had never done this before, she hoped they could enjoy it fully. It seemed Jack thought so, too._

_"Welcome home, darling," she said, just a little teasingly, and kissed him sweetly. Judging by the lovesick look on his face and the goofy grin that was slowly growing when she pulled away, he hadn't expected that._

_"Mmm... I..I like being home..." he barely gurgled in a whisper, nearly collapsing against her._

_She giggled again and kissed his cheek, just to see what he would do. He hummed happily, closing his eye sockets and sighing shakily once more._

_"S-Sally..." he whispered with a happy grin, nuzzling her neck. "I-I _love_ you..."_

_"I love you too, Jack... My dearest Jack..." she replied, nuzzling him back with a blissful sigh._

_His smile then transformed into a mischievous smirk, and he opened his eye sockets where she saw an overwhelming desire shining through. He kissed her almost wildly, all the while thinking that this would be one of the last times he would feel her lips on his._

_She moaned in surprise, although that didn't stop her from eagerly reciprocating. Soon enough, they fell back into the couch, him atop her, still lip-locked in a heated embrace._

_They felt as the heat in the room rose with each breath they took, each place they caressed and kissed. After a while, clothes began to be thrown around as the lovers got caught by their desires. Moans echoed throughout the room, and they increased in volume and amount as the couple got lost in each other._

_When it was over, they both lay there, tightly embraced, as they tried to catch their breaths. They hadn't still gotten used to the intense pleasure that came with their lovemaking, but, oh, this time it sure was different. For one, Sally noted, Jack seemed..odd tonight. It wasn't just eagerness and utter happiness to carry out their passions (as most of the times), but tonight it seemed more of a desperation that threatened to consume everything else. As if this were the last time he'd see her or something._

_When they had calmed down a bit, that was when she saw it again. There was something in Jack's eye sockets...as if he was sad about something. But he smiled at her again and she shook the thought off. Maybe he was just thinking about something very deeply._

_Jack nuzzled his skull into her hair, letting out a peaceful sigh. Then, he spoke up, a small smile still in his face._

_"Not that I'm completely comfortable here, my Sally... But do you want to go to our bed now?" He chuckled a little, kissing her hair one more time as he waited for her answer._

_Sally giggled, charmed that he called it 'their' bed already. Granted, over this short amount of time, they had certainly claimed it being _theirs _(as opposing of it being only his), but.. They didn't even live together yet! Well, they might as well have been, since she _had_ spent some nights here before, when she had sneaked out and hadn't had to worry about the doctor scolding her for being late. Today, though, he knew...and he had just allowed Jack to whisk her away to his home for the whole day? Why would he do that, since that was clearly the reason he was so strict about her being home when he established it so?_

_There was something odd about this whole thing, and coupled with how strange Jack had been behaving...she wasn't sure if it was something good for her. But she did have this feeling..only that she didn't know what to make of it yet. It was similar to the feeling she had gotten with her premonition about Christmas, like something foreseeing..she didn't know what. But she knew that it was something bad._

_But then she put it in the back of her mind as she focused on how Jack was looking at her. His gaze could be only described as smoldering, and he was tracing his fingers up and down her arm, making her shiver in pleasure, as he patiently waited for her answer._

"_If you want to..." she replied coyly, fluttering her eyelashes._

"_Oh, I definitely want.." he replied, smiling at her suggestively. _

_She giggled again and nodded, kissing him once more. That was all that he needed before he got up and scooped her in his arms, smirking at her cute little gasp of surprise, and made his way into his room._

_Once there, he gently set her down on the bed, not bothering to close the door as he joined her. He just held her at first, savoring the feel of his bare bones on her soft skin. Looking her in the eyes with all the love and tenderness that he had, he kissed her softly, lingering a bit to fully appreciate the feel and taste of her lips. (Subconsciously, he knew this was because he didn't want to forget anything, little as it may be, about this day.) As Sally answered to the kiss, he felt himself shake a little under her touch, since as of now she had started to slowly run her hands up and down his ribcage._

_He soon broke the kiss to place smaller ones on her face, down her neck, and anywhere he could reach. He wanted to cherish her today and take his time with the small things like this, because at the end, they are the ones that matter the most._

_With this thought in mind, he takes his sweet time to enjoy every caress and every kiss, memorizing every part of her body he touches. He draws out their pleasure the most that he can until he is no longer able to, when it draws him in so powerfully that he can't help crying out her name in perfect bliss. __Breathing heavily, he lays his head on the crook of her neck as the last of his pleasure fades away._

_He is aware that he is trembling as he lays atop her, but doesn't much mind that thought as much as the other one that has suddenly occurred to him._

_This will be the last time he will ever be this close to her._

_It hits him now, the realization of what he will be feeling once she leaves and how difficult it will be for him to lose her. He had just been fooling himself earlier when he thought he wouldn't be affected much by it. On the contrary, what was to come would be one of the most difficult things he'll have to endure, and he was slowly realizing that._

_More than a year ago, he had found her amidst that curling hill, and the gnawing emptiness in his chest had been filled with the love he found he was holding for her that night. She was his purpose, his desire, his soul mate, and so much more. When he had realized that, he had felt like he could never let her go, and the first night they had made love had only strengthened that._

_Now he's here, making love to her for what would be the last time. His last chance to love her._

_And then another, more depressing thought comes to him: he doesn't want to lose her. He doesn't __**want**__ to, but he _has_ to, if he ever wants to see that blissful smile on her face after today._

_And he realizes now the graveness of what he is going to do. He had sworn at the start of their courtship to make everything possible for his Sally to be happy, even if that happiness came at the expense of his, because he had known that if she was happy, he would be happy. And now he is only trying to keep that oath to himself, but it is so very hard right now, with her shy little body clinging to him in every possible way and his mind stuck with the fact that he doesn't want this to end._

_He can't help it now; he holds her even closer and began to weep silently onto her shoulder, his own bony ones shaking with the effort he has to do to keep himself from outright crying and confessing everything to her through choked sobs. Even though, small tears are flowing out his eye sockets, soaking her shoulder and alerting his lover of what is happening._

_"Jack..!" she exclaims, surprised, when she turns her head and confirms that indeed her beloved is shedding tears, his face drenched in the evidence of it. What could have caused her Jack to be so sad after a moment so happy?_

_"S-Sally..." he just mutters quietly, his voice shaking and hoarse, before he buries his skull again on her shoulder, and she can hear now some stifled sobs along with feeling his tears almost double in amount._

_"Jack.. What's wrong, darling?" she asks, trying to take a better look at his face, but he hides from her. This saddens her. Why is her Jack so very sad? Why won't he let her help him?_

..._Could it have something to do with how he seemed earlier?_

_"Don't.. Just- My Sally, please, d-don't..." he murmurs brokenly, his voice sounding muffled against her body. "Just..hold me, my love. Hold me and love me... Please.. Only you can make it all okay." _

_The words are out before he can stop them, as he confessed to himself and her how much he really needs her, now more than ever._

_Startled at this response, she stays in silence for a minute before she complies. She kisses his shoulder bone (which is the only part of him she can reach right now), and he relaxes at the action, letting out a small sigh. Seeing he is somewhat calmed down, she turns his face so she can kiss him full on the lips, making him moan softly and relax even more against her. His tears stop completely and he surrenders himself to her, forgetting his gloomy thoughts from earlier and just focusing on her and her sweet comfort._

_And so starts a night of lovemaking, full of sweet caresses and loving gestures. They only stop when they notice that the whole day has gone by and it's now dinnertime, so they dress again and Jack prepares them a small feast by candlelight, ignoring Sally's claims to help him as he waves her off with the excuse that today is special. Once he's sure she's not looking at him, he slips the potion into her plate and quickly discards the bottle._

_As he watches her eat, he can't help but feel he is going to regret this. He shakes the thought off, but the feeling still remains, hidden deep within him._

_Soon after, they find themselves being pulled back into the bedroom, their lips locked in an endless embrace. Sally finds it amazing that he still wants to continue, but, unbeknownst to her, his excitement has a completely different reason besides his overpowering desire._

_The night wears on, and the lovers find themselves holding each other close for what would be the very last time. Jack becomes aware of this and that they don't have much time left, and the thought saddens him to his core._

_Just as he feels her breathing evening out, meaning she's about to fall asleep, he whispers into her ear,_

_"I love you, Sally. Forever. Please always remember this..."_

_Perhaps it's a desperate attempt to undo what has been set in motion, but he knows it's useless, and so he sighs unhappily and nuzzles her one last time before settling himself to sleep. _

_Even though, his barely conscious mind registers her reply and he unknowingly saves it in his heart._

_"I love you too, Jack... Always."_

* * *

The memory of that night is particularly painful, not only because it was their last night together, but because it was the last time he heard those three words come from her.

He had been a mess the next day when he realized the way she had replied to him, but since he knew he couldn't turn back time, he had turned to her, sleeping peacefully in the half-light of the near morning, and dutifully started whispering the cover story he had came up with before of what she had been doing the past year. Of how his Christmas fiasco ended up, avoiding the part where they came together; of how Dr. Finkelstein set her free after knowing of her bravery; and of how she had used that freedom to find a nice house of her own in the other part of town.

He was almost in tears when he had finished that final part, which was his logical mind's desperate effort to keep her away from him to avoid the inevitable pain. (Which he later found did _nothing_ to help that, since he could clearly see her house from up his tower and any time she went out of it to stroll around town.) Barely composing himself, that fateful morning he had managed to dress her without her waking and had carried her to what would be her new home.

As he watched her laying in the new bed he had gotten for her, he couldn't help the surge of longing that came over him, and before he knew what was happening, he was leaning in closer to her face to give her one last kiss. He let himself enjoy it for a moment before he pulled away, terrified of having woke her up with that. He had been relieved when she just stirred and went right back to sleeping. He fled the house then, unbelieving that he had actually done that.

This disbelief drove him to his house in a trance-like state, trying to deny the events that had just transpired. It was so strong, this feeling, that when he had gotten home he had convinced himself that Sally had gone nowhere and she was right where he left her, waiting for him. When he had gone through the door, he half-expected her sweet voice calling him from the kitchen where she was making breakfast or from the bedroom where she had just woken up. When he had checked the kitchen and his bedroom, though, something in the back of his mind reminded him that he had just taken away Sally away from that same bed he was sitting on and forced her to forget him.

But he hadn't wanted to pay attention to that voice, because he knew he'd break down if he did.

As it was, the next few days, he had kept telling himself all sort of excuses to avoid the more-than-painful truth. He avoided the Mayor and anyone that came looking for him, not deeming himself ready enough to go outside and probably see her again, which would unavoidably cause him to lose whichever composure and sanity he still possessed.

During that time, he remained locked up in his house, completely alone, where he fell prey to the vivid imaginings of his mind. Sometimes he thought he heard her voice downstairs calling his name and every time he had rushed down his spiral stairs to see if the illusion was true. It never was, of course, but he kept drowning in denial, telling himself things that were not.

It was as the beginning of the second week of these delusions and half-imaginings came that he couldn't keep it up, and he had found himself staring blankly at the place where Sally used to sit beside him on the couch, remembering all the times they had been there doing something that was definitely more than 'sitting'.

He had transferred his gaze to the dining table, not bearing the all-too-clear images that had sprung up, and then he'd seen himself and Sally dining in their half-a-year anniversary. Her laughing at a joke he had made, and how at the moment he had been silently admiring the clearness and softness of her laugh.

It had felt so **real**.

He had gasped, closing his eye sockets in an effort to stop the memories, _but_ _they couldn't be stopped_. How was it that so much had happened in only a year? Everything that they had been and everything that they had done ran through his mind that night, and he just lay there and took it all in, something inside him wishing, _begging_, this was all just a dream, but the pain he was feeling hurt him too much for it not to be real.

He came back to reality when he heard himself crying hysterically, trying to stop to no avail.

'_Why?_' he kept asking himself over and over. '_Why isn't she here anymore? Why isn't she here to save me from this nightmare? __**Why**__? Why, my Sally?_'

That was when it hit him.

_She wasn't _his_ Sally anymore._

The thought had made him cry even more, as he let out all the sorrow and guilt he had been bottling up for two weeks. He hadn't stopped for what seemed like an eternity, and when he finally did, he felt as if had been drained out of all his energy.

He remembered that day all-too-clearly, because that had been the first time he'd seen her after what he had done.

Tired and looking for comfort, he'd climbed the stairs to his tower, where he had always managed to find solace. Subconsciously, he knew he was going to that place because he had never taken her there, so there were no stray memories that would haunt him. His dog Zero had been sleeping peacefully in his basket and he had almost smiled seeing him, but his melancholy had been so deep that he couldn't even manage a simple smile.

He had felt compelled to look out the window to his town and spent a brief moment arguing with himself over whether it was a good idea or not, finally deciding that he really didn't _care_. Right now, nothing could be worse than what he had been feeling.

Oh, he hadn't known how wrong he was.

After a while, just when he had found himself calming down, he had spotted a bright dress and an oh-so-familiar flow of fiery auburn hair.

His eye sockets had widened and he had been unable to wrench himself away from the sight.

Even if it was only a week since he had last seen her, he could swear she had changed, even if just a little. Her hair seemed brighter, almost shining under the afternoon sun, her dress was obviously a new design that she had made, her eyes were twinkling in happiness, and her smile...

Oh, when he caught sight of her beautiful smile as she cheerfully waved to the townsfolk, he could feel, most certainly than anything else, his undead heart breaking into pieces. He just stood there, unmoving, processing what he just saw.

She was happy. She was happy _without him_. A small part of him was a bit relieved that she did have the ability to be that happy without him, but mostly he was focused on the fact that she didn't need him anymore, she had moved on, and _she was completely happy without him_.

While he was here, thinking of how unbearable his life was going to be without her.

However, instead of feeling the wave of loneliness and sorrow that he had felt before, he had felt anger. Anger at himself for letting her go. Anger at the witches for giving him that potion in the first place. Anger at Dr. Finkelstein for agreeing with him and letting him do this. Though, mostly, he was angry that he had been so stupid as to thinking this had been a good idea and that he could ever be happy without her.

He knew now more than ever that that wasn't ever going to be true.

He wouldn't ever get her back, and it was all because of a stupid decision he had made in haste.

He had turned from the window and for the first time started contemplating his decision of pushing her away and making her forget him. What did he hope to gain, really? A thousand nights of sorrow and solitude?

'_Well, that's definitely a given._' he thought sourly.

The only thing he had possibly gained with this whole thing was to give himself a heartache only to spare Sally one.

_Was it worth it?_

Here and now, he asked himself this question again, having experienced at least half of what he knew was waiting for him.

Despite more of the excruciating pain he knew was coming, despite all those nights he cried himself to sleep, despite having to bear that emptiness returning and almost swallowing him whole, and most of all, despite all those illusions at the beginning which had screwed his perception of reality so much that now he didn't know if something was real or not, making him doubt his own sanity? Was it **really** worth it?

...It was.

And then he realized why. It was because he knew that he couldn't bear to see Sally ever feeling the same kind of pain he was feeling now. He knew that he would die for her (again) if it came to be. And this was because he still felt that unfathomable, overwhelming love for her, stronger now more than ever.

This was why he felt himself hurt for her every night, his phantom heart feeling overwhelmed by all the pain he was experiencing. This was why he endured the endless tears that poured from his eye sockets at the mere thought of her. This was why he kept going on day after day, hoping that he would see her again, even if it would hurt him more, for the simple reason that he couldn't live without seeing her pretty face.

This was why every day he kept hoping against all hope to someday see her fall back in love with him.

This is why he couldn't make his heart forget her, because she had become a part of him in a way so deep that he was unable to permanently remove her from his life, for more than he tried.

This is why he now gets up from his bed, watching forlornly the rays of sunlight emanating from the window, wipes the remnants of tears from his eye sockets and begins preparing himself for another dreary day devoid of Sally.

He knows that he won't be able to ever forget her, but maybe, someday, he could stop the ache his heart feels every day, every time he thinks about how he could be waking up with her to face the world together if things had been different.

Maybe, in time, he would be able to forget all this pain.

But he knew time wouldn't heal his broken heart.

* * *

**Whew, I'm glad that's done and over with. Or.. is it? **

**(God _freaking_ dammit, muse, leave me alone! I have homework to do! Dx )**


End file.
